"...he Shall Receive A Reward"

Paul is not bashful in the slightest about telling us about the Lord. Look at Colossians 2:10. We read, “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.”

These false teachers had been trying to tell people that Christ is not sufficient within Himself, but Paul says “…Ye are complete in Him…”

After showing us that Christ is the foundation on which we build our Christian lives, he goes into chapter three to show us HOW TO BUILD ON THIS FOUNDATION.

There is nothing wrong with our foundation, but I am afraid sometimes Christians build very inadequately on it.

Illus: If you have ever built a house, you know that if you don’t build according to the code, the inspector will tell you that you have to tear it down and start all over.

A lot of folks got saved years ago, but the problem is that they did not build according to the blueprint of God’s Word. They built according their own code. But as they stand before the Lord at the Judgment Seat of Christ, they are going to find out that their house will not stand.

Look at 1 Cor. 3:13-14, we read, “Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.”

Notice, we are saved by grace, not by works.

Look at verse 15, “If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

Everything they did according to their plans, when tested by fire, shall be burned up. But if their works pass the test, God’s Word says, “…He shall receive a reward.”

So that we can have rewards on that day, let us look at the Word of God, to see how we are to build. First, let us look at-

I. OUR DIRECTION

Look at verses 1-4. We read, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”

Notice, Paul starts this passage off with the conjunction, “if”. He does this for two reasons. The word, “if”, is conditional.

For example, Paul recognized two things:

(1) Paul recognized that EVERYONE WHO CLAIMS TO BE SAVED, is not saved. And it doesn’t matter who does the preaching, or how many times they hear the Word of God preached, they never grow spiritually because they have never been born spiritually.

The Lord said in Matthew 7:22-23, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

The Lord said that many are deceived about salvation. They actually think they are saved, but they are in for the shock of their lives.

(2) Paul recognized that once we come to know Christ as our Savior, and build our lives on Him, it will become obvious that we are saved, by the way we build.

Notice, in Matthew 7, the Lord tells us that many are deceived about knowing Him. He says in the same chapter, only a few verses before, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

The Word of God clearly states that we are not to judge one another, but the Bible does tell us we are not to be so naïve, that we cannot tell an apple from an orange, spiritually speaking. There are some things that are so obvious, they do not require any judgement on our part.

As you look into the Word of God, and look into the lives of some folks, it is as obvious as the nose on your face, that the kind of salvation they claim to possess, is not the kind the Bible teaches.

The Bible teaches that once a person has built their life upon the Lord Jesus, their DIRECTION in life will show that their life is built on the Lord Jesus.

Look again at what Paul says, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”